Sophia Al-Maria: Taraxos

About

*Every asterisk a star. Every star a clock. Every clock a chime. Every chime a warning. Waking a cell, then a seed, then the germ of a weed getting ready to flower. – Sophia Al-Maria

Sophia Al-Maria considers the dandelion an emblem of freedom and resistance, as each seed has the potential to become an agent of resilience and change. Inspired by the life cycle and geometry of the dandelion (taraxacum officinale), the sculpture taraxos is a model for understanding and listening to the world.

taraxos is a meditative place for anyone to slow down time for themselves. Visitors can sit beneath and stand amongst a constellation of 12 metal achenes, which take the form of futuristic dandelion ‘seeds’, and listen to the sculpture. Activated by the wind, the sculpture can also be played by touching the stems which are covered in copper, a material selected for its antimicrobial qualities.

At the top of each achene the asterisk* appears as shorthand symbolising a dandelion seed’s bracts, below it is inscribed into the ground in reference to the navigational tool of a meteorological wind rose. The punctuation mark of the asterisk* is a motif in Al-Maria’s work which emerged from her screenwriting practice in which the asterisk indicates rewriting and revision. The central node of taraxos is a piece of reclaimed titanium from an airplane. This durable yet light material, ideal for air and space travel mirrors that of the seemingly fragile airborne dandelion seed.

The Serpentine x Modern Forms Sculpture Commission focuses on Serpentine’s immediate environment as a space for artists to engage with the landscape of the park.

Sophia Al-Maria was selected for this new public sculpture commission by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Melissa Blanchflower, Curator, Exhibitions and Public Art, Serpentine and Nick Hackworth, Director, Modern Forms.